


Prayers to the Fire at Dawn

by Adeline_Wrights_Fanfiction



Category: RWBY
Genre: F/F, Short Drabble, Tie-in to my Looking-Glass Poems AU, White Rose Week 2020, prose, wrw2020
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-15
Updated: 2020-10-18
Packaged: 2021-03-04 07:02:03
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,807
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24729403
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Adeline_Wrights_Fanfiction/pseuds/Adeline_Wrights_Fanfiction
Summary: Weiss Schnee lives in a world where magic is dead and love is forbidden. Or so she was taught - but she has always had her faith.My short contribution to White Rose Week 2020 using prompts from the first four days in a single entry.
Relationships: Ruby Rose/Weiss Schnee
Comments: 5
Kudos: 29





	1. Chapter 1

_I. Love at First Sight_

Have you ever fallen in love at a glance? Ever watched a total stranger for the briefest of moments, only to find your heart walking away with them?

The first time I saw her, I nearly wept with how much my heart ached. I caught a glimpse of her walking out of the flower shop across the edge of campus with a single white rose held to her breast. She had the prettiest eyes I had ever seen; the silver of moonlight, bright as the stars, shimmering like liquid mercury. She caught my eye with the ghost of a smile, the words “I love you” formed on her lips, and my heart stopped in my chest.

I cried for hours that night. The words were surely meant for someone else, but I wondered if, for the first time in my life, they might have somehow been for me.

* * *

_II. Letters_

The next day, I woke before the sun to find a letter from her on my pillow. It smelled faintly of roses, its envelope sealed with red wax, pressed with the emblem of the Fire at Dawn, a goddess of love and new beginnings from the old pantheon of Remnant. It was so old-fashioned, but I didn’t question it for a moment. Surely I was dreaming. It read:

_Dear Weiss,_

_I have wandered for years,_  
_searching for someone,_  
_someone precious to me,_  
_someone I lost long ago._

_I didn't find her, in the end,_  
_but that may be for the best._  
_My time with her is long past._  
_It's not good for me to cling._

_I had bought this flower on a whim,_  
_Thinking it was simply pretty,_  
_But it was more than that._  
_It was for you, Weiss._

_May the dawn rise on a new era,_  
_Golden with possibilities._  
_I meant what I said, you know._  
_My words then, my words now._

_I love you._

_~ Ruby Rose_

As I reached the end of the letter, cheeks warm, heart disbelieving, a glint of light caught my eye by the window. A single white rose sat upon the sill, nestled comfortably in my grandmother's porcelain vase. It shone at the edges with the first light of morning on the horizon.

The Fire at Dawn herself had delivered Ruby's kindness. Of this I am certain. But what now? Who is this girl, and how can I find her again?

* * *

_III. Goddesses_

I would spend the rest of the week waiting restlessly for answers.

The days passed by as languorously as ever, only now there was a stirring in my heart and a tightness in my chest. I spent every moment thinking about my mysterious admirer and the strange magic that brought her to me.

The Women's Academy of Vale was a fine institution, but it was notoriously secular in a world still clinging to the old gods. I had been raised on stories of the Eternal Pyre, the Mother of Death, and the timeless reincarnation of souls.

Even after the death of Emperor Ozpin and the rise of the Atheist regime, I never stopped believing.

No, the Fire at Dawn delivered Ruby's letter personally. Magic still exists.

But where was Ruby?

I couldn't help scanning the eyes of every passerby in the halls of the Academy. Maybe she was a fellow student? No matter how hard I looked, I could find not find a pair of eyes the same shade of silver, and certainly none as striking.

I would return to my private dorm at the end of each night to find my white rose looking tired and wilted. It seemed as much a reflection of my own moods as it was the natural progression of things. Flowers bloom, then wither, then die. A clipped flower has no hope of survival, or of contributing to new life.

Is this the true nature of love?

Tonight, amidst my dour contemplations, I would be given a different answer. Returning from a day of dry lectures and anxious, furtive glances, I found the door to my dorm ajar, the golden light of a setting sun streaming through the narrow opening.

A certain sense of destiny gripped me then. I tried to tell myself it was only a late room inspection, but that couldn't explain the scent of roses wafting into the hallway. With trembling fingers, I opened the door more fully and stepped inside.

After a week of waiting, wondering, wishing… there she was. Ruby Rose stood at the windowsill, kissing a fresh white rose to replace the old, listless specimen.

The clatter of my books and writing implements as they fell to the floor broke the spell over each of us. Ruby jumped in surprise. My knees shook until I nearly fell.

"Ah!" Ruby gasped, immediately flicking a wrist towards me. The door to my dorm closed of its own accord and Ruby raised a finger to her lips to shush me into stunned to silence.

Ruby seemed to have a glow about her as if she herself were lit with sunlight despite the creeping of the dusk. I could only sit and stare as Ruby cradled the withered rose to her chest, chanting in ancient Valese.

_"By the light of Love,_  
_I bid you welcome_  
_to the Eternal Pyre._  
_Rest for a while._  
_May you know peace_  
_in your many lives to come._  
_The body you have left behind_  
_will provide nourishment_  
_for the lives which remain._  
_Shine brightly,_  
_so all in the darkness_  
_may follow."_

I watched with wonder as the rose ignited with the end of Ruby's prayer, a small, measured flame. Ruby smiled at me as the rose burnt to ashes in her open palms.

When at last the flame extinguished, Ruby poured the ashes carefully into my kettle over the lit stove.

"Tea?" she asked.

"I have so many questions," I breathed.

"It's medicine," Ruby laughed. "Good for the heart. Greater still for the spirit."

"No, no," I began. "Not about that. Wait, also that. But how? Where did you come from? The flowers. The letter. Who _are_ you?"

Ruby's smile warmed the small room. "You can't be comfortable on the floor, Weiss. May I help you to bed?"

My cheeks flared at the question, but I took Ruby's proffered hand all the same. With a gentle tug and the butterfly feelings of weightlessness, she pulled me to my feet and led me to sit at the edge of my bed.

With mischief dancing across Ruby’s silver eyes, she said, "You had the right of it, Weiss. The Fire at Dawn indeed delivered your letter and your flower. I would know, for she and I are one."

I would have laughed at the impossibility of her claim, would have reveled at the magics I had already witnessed, but all the breath left me at once, and I fell faint.

* * *

_IV. Secret Relationship_

I awoke to the warmth of blankets and the softness of lips kissing my forehead.

“You’re awake?” Ruby asked. “Here, drink.”

Sitting up against the headboard, I took the offered mug of tea. It smelled of roses, as did everything about Ruby. After a moment's hesitation, I took a sip. The liquid traveling down my throat nourished me to my very soul. It felt as though roses were blooming throughout my body. It felt as though I were loved.

“What is this?” I asked.

“Tea made from ashes of the Eternal Pyre. It took much pleading for Father to permit me to share them with a human.”

I stared at Ruby in disbelief, but she continued. “Please, drink it. It will strengthen your connection to the Spaces Between. It will allow me to spend time with you freely.”

“Spend time with me freely…” I echoed. The sudden urge to kiss Ruby crossed my mind, or perhaps it was Ruby’s sudden urge to kiss me which carried from Ruby’s pleading eyes directly into my thoughts.

“Why me?” I asked. “I’m no one special.”

“But you are,” Ruby whispered low. “In a world where faith is dying with its people, you continue to believe in magic. Your prayers brought me to you.”

“Please,” I scoffed. “I am no monk. I don’t know the scriptures. I have never once in my life knelt in prayer. That was before my lifetime.”

Ruby smiled, eyes asking if she may rest her forehead against mine. I assented with a sigh and lidded eyes.

“Prayer is so much more than monastic ritual, Weiss. It is a meditation from the heart upon the heart's desires. Despite living a life of loneliness and abuse, you have always cherished kindness. Love and kindness, Weiss. That is what you embody.

My brow furrowed at the memories of my prickly youth, and how I lashed my peers with wit and scorn for any perceived slight. It was not at all long ago that I considered myself to be a wretched soul.

Ruby’s gaze read me plainly. “Despite your harshness, Weiss, you knew that you craved love and kindness. It took you most of your life to get there, but one day, in silent contemplation, you decided to be quieter. Gentler. You’ve been lonely, Weiss, but you have endeavored to spread love and kindness from a distance.”

Tears rolled down my cheeks as I gripped my mug tighter. Ruby’s warmth was incredible. I nuzzled against her forehead out of instinct before sipping a long draught of tea.

Ruby hummed a soft, contented sound that shook the two of us. “I don’t want to ruin the mood, Weiss, but I need to tell you something before we get too comfortable.”

At Ruby’s final word, my mind was filled with the notion of the two of us laying together beneath the bed's many blankets, with Ruby cradling me as the bigger spoon. Was this her desire? Ruby’s? How were we able to share these desires without words?

“I’m listening,” I murmured through a peculiar haze.

“This is important, Weiss. Are you truly?”

I shook off the comforts of Ruby’s spell and locked eyes with her at full attention. "I'm listening."

“You can’t tell anyone about me.”

I bristled at the imperative. What nonsense! As if she even had to ask. “You mean to tell me, Ruby Rose, that I am not to tell any of my peers or the superior officers of a militant atheist regime about the Fire at Dawn, timeless goddess, daughter of the Eternal Pyre, who has magically appeared in my life to woo me with roses and magic tea?”

Ruby blinked. The frankness of my deadpan had caught her off guard. “Umm… yes?”

With a smile and a long-withheld kiss to her lips, I said, “You dolt. My silence is as true as my faith. One word of magic or the Spaces Between and I would be hanged.”

“Then you’re not afraid of risking your mortal life for a chance at love?”

“A life without love is not worth living.”

Ruby smiled and leaned in for another kiss. I returned it eagerly, letting Ruby guide me as our lips moved against each other's. I had never done this before, but I could only hope that Ruby, as a goddess of love from time immemorial, would help me through any clumsiness on my part.

As we settled comfortably together, the words from Ruby’s letter echoed through our intertwined thoughts:

_May the dawn rise on a new era,_  
_Golden with possibilities._  
_I meant what I said, you know._  
_My words then, my words now._

_I love you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Depending on the reception, I may try to follow up with more of the WRW2020 prompts. I wanted to work on something big during the months leading up to the event, but I let life get in the way when it didn't need to, and instead, I'm writing this little snippet of a story halfway through the week.
> 
> Please, let me know your thoughts and feelings after reading. Your feedback could be anything - even an emoji or a single word will do wonders for my spirits.
> 
> Cheers loves.  
> ~ Adeline


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Months after the conclusion of WRW, I wanted to write a follow-up. It's short, but I hope it will satisfy!

Eight months have passed since Ruby entered my life, and we have fallen into a comfortable routine. I go about my days as normal, attending Academy lectures and socializing with the few friends I have made. It is during the evenings at sunset where I may bask in Ruby's warmth, and these have become my new favorite moments.

"Welcome home, Weiss!"

Ruby's voice reached me as I turned the lock to my small, private dorm room. "Ruby? You're here early today."

I expected to see her as I crossed the threshold, but instead I was surprised to find no one and nothing. Leaning down to take off my shoes, I noticed my drab wooden furnishings were made pristine, a fresh white rose set upon my pillow.

"Did you clean my room? Where are you?"

A breeze from the open window carried with it the scent of roses. I closed my eyes to breathe deeply my partner's characteristic scent, and when I opened them again, Ruby stood before me, eyes glittering with mischief.

"You always keep your room so clean. It must have been a busy morning for you to leave it in such disarray."

I smiled as Ruby took a step towards me, her hands already reaching for my hips, closing the remaining distance between us to steal the first of our many kisses for the evening.

I ran my fingers along the silken sleeves of Ruby's dress, wondering at the way its intricate patterns seemed to dance like firelight.

"Thank you for tidying up, love. How was your day?"

Ruby laughed, and the fabrics of her dress seemed to laugh with her. "It was wonderful! Oh, I wish I could tell you the things I have seen."

"More secret goddess stuff?"

Silver eyes glowed with mirth. "More secret goddess stuff."

I grinned and twined my fingers with hers. "So what can you tell me?"

The Fire at Dawn pressed herself closer, set her cheek against my collarbone, and said, "That I love you. That I am overjoyed to have you in my life. And… that I wanted to ask you something."

"Anything, love."

Wordlessly, soundlessly, Ruby brought to mind the intimate comforts of sharing a bed. "May I spend the night with you?"

My eyes fluttered, though she could not have seen it. "Is that something you can do? I thought you weren't allowed to."

"Dusk is when the world is most new, and it is when the Spaces Between touch most closely with your realm. But I am more than a deity of thought, Weiss. I am a daughter of the Eternal Pyre, and I wax at daybreak."

She dragged a light fingernail up my spine as she spoke, making me shiver with anticipation. When at last her fingertips traced the back of my neck, she continued,

"My work is most busy between now and then. But tonight... tonight I am free from the burdens of my station."

Ruby drew back to gaze into my eyes. I could see the steady blue of my gaze reflected in Ruby's own.

"Tonight," Ruby whispered, "I am yours."

The disireous lilt of her voice was all the permission I needed to set my lips upon hers for our second kiss. This one was hungry and searing. The fading sun had crossed the treeline of the forest to the west. The only light remaining was Ruby's. The only color remaining was Ruby.

* * *

Hours later, both sated and tired, Ruby held me against her breast, cradling me in her arms.

"It is good that I am quiet in pleasure," I said.

"But I am not," Ruby answered. I could feel her smiling into my hair.

I smiled back. "And it is a good thing no one can hear you but me. I would be expelled for being found with a bedfellow, but I would be hanged for laying with a woman."

Ruby held me protectively. "I am sworn to secrecy."

I laughed, the sound freeing upon my lips. "Your Lord Father knows of us and he grants his blessing. It is I who must keep secret."

"All the same, Weiss. I will protect you."

I sighed into my lover's warmth. "Atheism is so tiring, Ruby. It is completely untrue."

Ruby stroked my hair patiently. "Would you still believe that if we had never met?"

I hummed with the peace in my heart. "I have always believed in love."

* * *

That night, I dreamed of Ruby's homeland and of the Eternal Pyre. I grew up on stories of its majesty and its warmth, of the timeless reincarnation of souls that our Lord Father's children dutifully shepherd to and fro. It was not until the first time Ruby held me that I truly understood its beauty.

I could hear her calling to me from beyond the veil of flame, its twisting tendrils speaking in a language beyond death, filling my vision with a light of colors unimaginable. I could hear her calling to me, and then…

I woke, alone, with my fingers curled around a fresh white rose, its scent filling my lungs with the strength to carry me through the coming day. Sunlight shone in rich orange and gold upon the windowsill, and I offered a silent prayer of thanks.

"Sweet dreams, Ruby. I'll see you in the next one."


End file.
